1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for producing a snack-like cake having a superior texture through extremely simplified stages by using the whole or hulled grains of beans or cereals as raw material, as they are, and employing a twin-screw extruder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Swelled snack cakes having recently been broadly liked among cakes are not only sold as a kind of snack cakes, but also applicable to relishes, health foods, etc. Raw materials therefor are powder of wheat flour, cornstarch, cornflour, rice flour, etc., and the cakes have been produced by subjecting such raw material to sufficient moisture-conditioning, followed by subjecting it to extrusion cooking by way of a single screw extruder as a pressure-heating extruder. Recently, production of breakfast cereals and baby foods by way of a twin-screw extruder has been developed by Werner and Pfleiderer Company in West Germany (Food Enginerring International, May, 1984, pages 42-43). These raw materials comprise modified starch wheat flour and proteins, and any of these are of powder as in the case of single screw extruder.
Any of conventional snack cakes employing an extruder as described above must use powder as raw material; hence in the case of grain-form raw material, a means of once milling is required. Further, since the moisture content of powder is generally legs than 10%, it is necessary for the treatment by extruder to increase the moisture content to the level of 20%; thus a moisture-conditioning process therefor has been indispensable.